Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Nasheed Confirms Coup

The protests in the Maldives have continued and escalated despite the resignation of President Mohamed Nasheed. In an interview he said, "You call it what you want. But when someone metaphorically
and physically puts a gun at your head and tells you to resign, that's a
coup in my mind."
He also stated that "it was nothing but a coup by Islamists" that took him from power, and he plans to put his name in for election. Former vice president Mohamed Waheed, the new president, denies that there was any kind of forced resignation and states that it was popularly demanded by the people.

However Nasheed's supporters have taken to the streets demanding that he be returned to power. Current reports would suggest that the majority of the country still supports the deposed president. The crowds do not appear to be going anywhere, only growing. With the police and military already split between the sides, it is unsure if anyone will be able to keep this from getting truly violent.